Lindsay Peoples: Eight Internships in Four Years

Lindsay Peoples did not have much time to rest during her four years at BVU.

Beyond her studies and campus activities during the academic years, her summers and January interims were filled with internships. In fact, with some eight internships to her credit, the May 2012 graduate from Brown Deer, Wis., may hold the unofficial BVU record for the most internships in a four-year time span.

A graphic design and digital media major, Lindsay planned her internships to give her an inside track to a career in the fashion industry, and some day her dream job as a fashion editor.

Her internships, with several that read like a “who’s who” of the fashion world, include:

Fall 2011 semester in London: two internships at Beauty and the Dirt (online women’s lifestyle blog) and Starworks PR (fashion public relations firm). She also took classes at the University of London (journalism and mass communication) and London College of Fashion (fashion merchandising and business)

January 2012: O, Oprah Magazine in New York City

“I would say my internship at the Oprah Magazine had the biggest impact on me because it was an unexpected opportunity and I was really nervous about going because I had never worked at a lifestyle magazine,” she says. “But I was welcomed with open arms and everyone was eager to let me on their team, so that experience definitely reassured me that fashion journalism is the right field for me.”

Despite her impressive résumé, and opportunities to meet many celebrities, Lindsay says the internships did not come without a lot of personal sacrifice. “I have had to make some very big decisions at a young age and sacrificed some friendships, time with my family, holidays, birthdays and important happenings in the lives of people I love because of my career aspirations,” she says. “The workload is tough as an intern and the hours are never going to be 9-5 in my field especially, so being able to multi-task and have patience has been a must.”

Lindsay stayed in contact with all of her internship employers and networked every chance that she had, which she believes is important. “All of my previous internship employers refuse to hire people who have not interned there before,” she notes. “Every time a position opens up, before they put the job opening online they try to find their favorite previous interns to see who is looking for a job. Opportunities in the industry are really about timing.”